Stadthalle Lübeck

Stadthalle Lübeck is a historic cinema in Lübeck, Germany, and is currently the oldest continuously operating cinema in the city. The building originally opened in 1903 as a multi-purpose festival hall with a large concert and theatre auditorium, a garden, and residential and commercial space. After financial difficulties, the city of Lübeck took over the property in 1915. In 1919, the James Henschel GmbH, a subsidiary of Universum Film AG, leased the building and converted it into a cinema, opening the Stadthallen-Lichtspiele on 19 September 1919 with 1,200 seats — the largest cinema in Lübeck at the time. The venue was considered a respectable entertainment establishment, in contrast to other cinemas of the era. Over the following decades, the Stadthalle changed operators and underwent renovations, including the costly conversion to sound film in the late 1920s. It has remained a cinema venue ever since. Today it operates under the CineStar brand as "CineStar Lübeck - Stadthalle", part of the CineStar chain, and shows current films, previews, and special events. The official website lists current screenings such as "Spa Weekend", "Eiserne Wildnis - Heart of the Beast", "Street Fighter", "Dune: Part Three" preview, and "Avengers: Endgame Extended", along with a cinema tour for "Adams Acht" and a Linkin Park concert film. The cinema offers online ticket sales, trailers, and special promotions like the CineStarCARD and Sparmenüs. The building itself, located at Mühlenbrücke 9-13, is a listed historic structure with a brick Gothic facade. The original festival hall had a main hall of 926 m², ranking 17th in size in Germany at the time. The architecture featured a modernized Baroque style for the festival rooms. The site also included an 8,000 m² terraced garden used for concerts. The building now houses the cinema and commercial spaces, with Greater Union International GmbH occupying former residential areas. Stadthalle Lübeck represents a blend of historic preservation and modern cinema operation, serving as a cultural landmark in Lübeck while continuing to function as a commercial cinema under the CineStar umbrella.

The Stadthalle in Lübeck was conceived around 1899 as a large, modern hall with a capacity of about 2,000 people, similar to the Mainzer Stadthalle or the Mannheimer Rosengarten. Architects Georg Runau (Lübeck) and Otto Kerwien (Potsdam) proposed solutions for the site of the old Tivoligarten (Burgtor) in 1899 and for the Salzspeicher (Holstenbrücke) in 1901, but neither was realized. Eventually, a plot at the Concordia-Garten was chosen. The project began in January 1903 with a provisional capital of 800,000 Marks, increased by 500,000 Marks by the Verein für Musikfreunde, under a consortium of 12 people. The shell was completed after not quite nine months. Kerwien designed it, and Runau supervised on site. The residential building rose four storeys to 43 m on the street (Mühlenbrücke 9-13). It contained ten apartments (today business premises of Greater Union International GmbH), three shops, a passage to the garden, and on the south side on the ground floor the restaurant and entrance vestibule for the festival rooms. The facades were built with Rathenower stones in medieval format in the style of North German Brick Gothic. An elevator and two artificial sandstone staircases with wrought-iron gilded railings led to the first-tier seats. The main hall, with an area of 926 m², ranked 17th in size in Germany. The stage facade was crowned by the Lübeck eagle flanked by two women (attributes of acting and music). The architecture of the festival rooms was in modernized Baroque style, except for the lighting fixtures. A recurring architectural motif was three vertical lines representing staff fountains, the architect's sign, suggesting the Holy Trinity as the symbol of true divine art. Next to the festival rooms at the Krähenteich with a view of Lübeck lay the 8,000 m² terraced garden used for concerts. The stage was inaugurated with a guest performance of Lessing's "Minna von Barnhelm" by the ensemble of the Deutsches Theater zu Hamburg on Sunday, 23 October. On Monday the Verein der Musikfreunde gave a concert, and on Thursday a banquet in the restaurant rooms closed the festivities. Lübeck had a new attraction. However, the venue proved far less profitable than planned. The arrangement of the society rooms was not as practical as needed for profitable operation. Moreover, the large concert and theatre hall was unsustainable due to significant acoustic deficiencies. The Stadthalle was rebuilt according to plans by architect Rudolph Wilken, who also designed the Hansa-Theater. To improve acoustics, the hall was reduced: the barrel-vaulted ceiling was replaced by a flat one only 13 m above the floor. The supporting columns were extended to the ceiling frieze. The width of the hall was reduced to 19.5 m and the length from 36 to 28 m. The seating in the parterre rose in rows away from the stage and from the center to the sides. The first tier was pushed forward to the stage opening. The ceiling was coffered in wood for insulation and sound absorption. The doors to the foyer were replaced, and lighting was changed to four arc lamps and light bulbs distributed in the coffers. A direct access from the theatre exit to the restaurant was created. The garden was completely redesigned with a promenade by the water. In August 1915, the operator ran into financial difficulties; the Stadthalle was taken over by the Hanseatic City of Lübeck. Initially, there was no concept for the long-term use of the building, which was extremely costly to maintain. Even conversion to an indoor swimming pool was considered. Leasing to a theatre company was ruled out due to feared competition with the Stadttheater. After World War I, it was not until February 1919 that an acceptable tenant was found: James Henschel GmbH, a subsidiary of Universum Film AG, which operated several cinemas in Hamburg and was a significant film distributor in northern Germany, took over the Stadthalle as a cinema. In the lease, the city reserved the right to influence the cinema program and, as owner, to use the Stadthalle for its own events if necessary. After the necessary conversions were completed, the Stadthallen-Lichtspiele opened on 19 September 1919 with 1,200 seats, the largest cinema in Lübeck. Unlike the previously existing cinemas in the city, a visit to the Stadthalle, considered more elegant and officially controlled, was from the start regarded as respectable entertainment rather than lowbrow or disreputable diversion for the lower class. In September 1929, Henschel declined to renew the lease. His partner, Hamburg businessman Wilhelm Markmann, needed new partners due to the upcoming costly conversion to sound film equipment and the urgently needed renovation of the Stadthalle. He won the Lübeck... (text continues). The cinema has remained in operation since then, adapting to technological changes and eventually becoming part of the CineStar chain. Today it operates as CineStar Lübeck - Stadthalle, showing current films and special events.

• 1929

  In September, Henschel declines to renew the lease; Wilhelm Markmann seeks new partners for sound film conversion and renovation.

• 1919

  James Henschel GmbH, a subsidiary of Universum Film AG, leases the Stadthalle as a cinema; Stadthallen-Lichtspiele opens on 19 September with 1,200 seats, the largest cinema in Lübeck.

• 1915

  Operator faces financial difficulties in August; the Stadthalle is taken over by the Hanseatic City of Lübeck.

• 1903

  Construction of the Stadthalle begins in January with a provisional capital of 800,000 Marks; shell completed after not quite nine months.

• 1903

  Stage inaugurated on 23 October with a guest performance of Lessing's "Minna von Barnhelm" by the Deutsches Theater zu Hamburg.

Historic cinema venue operating under the CineStar chain, offering mainstream and special-event film programming in Lübeck.

• Cinema screenings

• Film previews

• Special events

• Concert films

• Online ticket sales

1. 1Kino in Lübeck - CineStar Lübeck - Stadthallecinestar.de
2. 2Stadthalle Lübeck - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Stadthalle (Lübeck) - Wikipediade.wikipedia.org